About

I qualified from Queen’s University Belfast in 2009, have been a GP partner in Castledawson and Bellaghy surgery since 2017 and a GP trainer for 2 years.

I enjoy being a General Practitioner despite the daily challenges and I feel privileged to work as a GP.

I have been involved in QUB undergraduate teaching from 2019 and University of Ulster undergraduate training from 2021.

I am happily married with 3 children with little free time but I enjoy running and LIFT classes.

I am originally from the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal. I studied medicine at Queen’s University Belfast and qualified as a doctor in 2014. I followed an academic GP training pathway, becoming a fully-fledged GP in 2021. I currently work as a portfolio GP, splitting my time between my clinical commitments as a sessional GP and my roles in clinical education.

Prior to becoming a doctor, I worked in psychology, and this experience has strengthened my commitment to the delivery of person-centred care.

I am passionate about medical education in general practice and promoting medicine as a potential career path for students from all walks of life. Committed to my own development as a medical educator, I have completed additional qualifications to doctorate level. Alongside this Module Lead role, I also work as a GP Training Programme Director and GP Appraiser. My specialist interests include simulation-based education and the intersection between medical education and the arts.

I am happily married and living in Co. Down. In my spare time, I enjoy playing traditional Irish music and spending time with family and friends. I am honoured to be part of this GP Sub-Deanery team and to be promoting general practice as the brilliant specialty it is.

Born and raised in Belfast, I graduated from QUB in 2011 and completed my GP Training in 2016. Continuing my career as a portfolio GP has allowed me to develop my interest in undergraduate medical education and I thoroughly enjoy engaging with students within my roles as a communication skills and clinical skills tutor at QUB. Married to an anaesthetist (and fellow 2011 graduate), the desire for flexible clinical working has seen me gravitate towards solely out of hours practice and with this, the time and opportunity to invest in my role as a mother.

I feel humbled to work alongside my excellent colleagues and really look forward to working with our groups of students during their GP attachments. I hope that we can encourage them to appreciate all the learning opportunities that these attachments will provide for them and to promote General Practice as a career of choice and one of privilege.

From farming roots I decided quite last minute to study medicine and graduated from QUB in 2008. I did a few years in O+G and then changed direction to GP training and have never been happier.
I became a GP Partner in Downpatrick in 2017 and then led the practice into GP training with NIMDTA and becoming a QUB teaching practice. We love the buzz of students and trainees and now occasionally take Spanish GP trainees for an 8 week placement from Barcelona over the summer! Clinically, I have an interest in palliative care and minor surgery in and am known for my pragmatism.
I’m still running a farm outside Drumbo and have a very patient and longsuffering wife who does the lion’s share of raising our 4 kids. As a family we are heavily involved in our local church and also local sports clubs so it’s a busy house but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ve always enjoyed being involved in education doing some anatomy demonstrating in final year and ward based teaching as a junior doctor and the practice based teaching so when the opportunity arose to join the GP subdeanery it felt like a natural progression and I look forward to working with students in this role.

I qualified as a GP in 2012 and have a specialist interest in sexual health, gynaecology, genital dermatology, and psychosexual medicine. I work across both primary and secondary care in specialist clinics, including within the GP federation.

Medical education is a core part of my career—I’ve been involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and I’m a primary trainer for CSRH, IPM, and BASHH. I regularly work with NIMDTA and the GP federations to support and develop GP education. I’ve presented at conferences nationally and internationally, and I sit on the board of the Sexually Transmitted Infections Foundation (STIF), helping to deliver education in sexual health and HIV.

I’m especially passionate about making GP learning inspiring, relevant, and relatable for our students. I care deeply about improving access to healthcare for people with disabilities and champion holistic, person-centred care in every setting. And if I had a superpower? It would definitely be multitasking! Outside of work, I enjoy baking, pottery, and serve on the committee for the Titanic Tigers Special Olympics team. Life is kept lively by living in the country with my three young boys, husband, dog—and even a turtle.

I graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2014 with the hope of working for MSF, I Locumed for a few years and even did a Master’s in Tropical Medicine. But then I came home one summer and fell in love with a Derry man. So here we are!

Not all was lost, I started GP training in 2019, drawn to the flexibility and the joy of building a portfolio career. I fell in love with medical education as a GP trainee and somehow landed my dream job as a module lead in 2023. The following year, I became a GP partner in Strabane, joining a fantastic team of committed GPs who make every day a joy.

Working as a module lead has been a whirlwind, I’ve learnt loads and gained a new appreciation for how much we GPs actually do, especially through the reflections and insights of the students on placement. It’s been a brilliant journey so far, and I’m excited to see what’s next!

I qualified from Queen’s University Belfast in 2011 and have been working as a GP since 2017. Originally from County Derry, I did most of my foundation and GP training within the Belfast Trust. I now live in County Tyrone and for the past six years, I have been working as a salaried GP in County Fermanagh (clearly, I love the West!) It has been an exciting time in the West with the development of the Ulster University School of Medicine. Although I never initially planned to pursue a role in medical education, opportunities arose along the way, and I’ve really enjoyed embracing them. With both of my parents being teachers, perhaps a love of education was always there. I’ve furthered this interest by completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education.
As part of my salaried GP role, I help tutor 3P students from Ulster University who are based in our practice. I also work with MedEd West and for this role I am based at the South West Acute Hospital. In this role I’m involved in simulation teaching, OSCE preparation, and clinical and communication skills sessions. I particularly enjoy engaging with students, learning from them, and staying up to date with all things medicine.

I’m really looking forward to embracing my new role as Year 1 GP Module Lead and continuing to support the next generation of doctors.
Outside of work, I’m married with three young children who keep life busy and full of fun. I enjoy partaking in ‘Gaelic for Mothers & Others’, helping out on our small farm (although, as my husband would agree, I’m definitely a fair-weather farmer!), and spending quality time with family.

 I have gained a wealth of experience across a diverse set of industries to bring to my current role for the General Practice Sub Deanery. I worked 5 years within Ulster Bank Business Operations progressing to Deputy Team Leader before moving to Educational administrative work.

Firstly, I spent 3 years in the Northwest Regional College assisting student admissions before progressing onto Ulster University. I joined the Competence Test Centre supporting Oversea Nursing OSCE examinations before joining the newly established School of Medicine as an Administrative assistant in 2023 with a focus on undergraduate General Practice student placements and recruitment. I was brought on to support the development of the NIGPCPA, and now provide operational support for the established GP Sub Deanery.

Through this work I have attained a depth of understanding of both educator and student requirements within a medical educational setting. I look forward to further developing the placement quality and allocation frameworks that aim to support and sustain workforce development across General Practice.

The Queen’s College Belfast opened its doors in 1849, receiving its Charter as The Queen’s University of Belfast in 1908. Once home to just a handful of medical students, today there are around 1,450 students learning medicine (up to 40% are “graduate entry” ). As the focus of healthcare has moved to primary care, so has the need for increased student exposure to General Practice. This trajectory was further reinforced by changes to the medical undergraduate curriculum (C25) with an increase from <10% time in GP placements in 2019 to 25% of time in GP placements by 2025.

There are currently over 150 practices partnering with QUB to provide these placements. Students are required to attend a general practice setting in each and every year of study:

• • • Years 1 & 2 Family Medicine – 5 Tutorials for each year at same practice (Tues or Thurs afternoon)
    • Year 3 Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship – 12 week attachments for one Wednesday morning per week at the same practice
    • Year 4 General Practice – 4 blocks x 2 week placement at the same practice (Mon-Fri)
    • Year 5 Preparation for Practice: Primary and Preventative Care – 7 out of 8 consecutive weeks at the same practice. (Mon-Fri)

Ulster University’s School of Medicine delivers Graduate Entry Medicine. The 4-year accelerated medical degree programme was established in September 2021 with a strategic focus towards primary care. The first cohort graduated in July 2025. Year groups comprise students with a wide range of previous study and work experience, from science to non-scientific and healthcare backgrounds. The disparate range of lived experience and skills, make this an exciting and stimulating entry route into the medical profession.
One third of the overall MBBS Clinical Placements are within Primary Care setting with a total of 60 practices currently partnering. Students are required to complete the following Clinical Placement programmes within primary care:

• • • Year 1: 12 x GP-led tutorial sessions  half-day on a Wednesday,  2-3 students 
    • Year 2:  19 x embedded sessions.  1-2 students for 6 cycles of 5-week rotations p/a. Usually
      Monday afternoons, Tuesday all day and Thursday mornings
    • Year 3: 76 x embedded sessions each.  1-3 students for total of 38 days p/a full day on a Friday
    • Year 4:  40 x embedded sessions each.  1-3 students for 5 cycles of 5-week rotations p/a.  Monday – Thursday